New Mexico becomes sixth state to accept sports wagers

New Mexico has made a surprise move and became the sixth state in the United States to accept sports wagers.

They join New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware, West Virginia, and Mississippi as states offering sports betting. More will follow suit with either Pennsylvania or Rhode Islands expected to be number seven by next month.

The Santa Ana Star Casino Hotel in Bernalillo took its first bet last Tuesday as sports wagering became legalised in the state.

Allowing sports wagering in New Mexico seemed to be very easy as the Native American tribes in the states are not against betting and considers it as Class III gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988.

After the US Supreme Court abrogated the PASPA ruling, the tribal-state decided to take advantage. Last month, the Mississippi Choctaw Indians began to accept sports wagers at the Pearl Resort Golden Moon Hotel & Casino.

Last week, the Pueblo of Santa Ana tribe revealed a deal with USBookmaking.

However, it is unknown which Native American tribe will follow in the footsteps of New Mexico. Experts who spoke at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas, agreed to the fact that it is unpredictable, which of the native states will follow.

This is because states with federally recognised tribes may have some legal challenges. That aside, the states with casino gaming limited to tribal lands are content with the monopoly they enjoy and would not want their territory to be re-examined as to where to allow sports betting.

Also the concern of low return on investments comes into play which a Native American gaming expert believes would discourage some tribes from taking advantage of the new sports betting regime.